untreatable
adjective
un·treat·able
ˌən-ˈtrē-tə-bəl 
: not yielding or responsive to medical treatment : not treatable
an untreatable disease
These infections cause an untreatable degeneration of the nervous system …—
Jared Diamond
Jared DiamondThe location of the cancer rendered him untreatable by further surgery.—Nancy J. Kubel
Nancy J. KubelExamples of untreatable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every Cure works to find new uses for existing drugs, with the goal of finding treatments for diseases that were previously untreatable.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Clinical trials are showing success against pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and rare genetic disorders that were previously untreatable.
—Jeff Coller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
But autoimmune conditions were essentially untreatable until the nineteen-forties, when scientists discovered that steroids could reduce inflammation and improve symptoms.
—Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
This is especially crucial for gonorrhea, as antibiotic resistant strains continue to emerge, raising concerns about untreatable superbugs.
—Kenneth H. Mayer, STAT, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untreatable
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Brad Quick, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Clinical trials are showing success against pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and rare genetic disorders that were previously untreatable.
—Jeff Coller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
But autoimmune conditions were essentially untreatable until the nineteen-forties, when scientists discovered that steroids could reduce inflammation and improve symptoms.
—Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
This is especially crucial for gonorrhea, as antibiotic resistant strains continue to emerge, raising concerns about untreatable superbugs.
—Kenneth H. Mayer, STAT, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untreatable
Cite this Entry
“Untreatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untreatable. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
untreatable
adjective
un·treat·able
-ˈtrēt-ə-bəl
: not susceptible to medical treatment
untreatable patients
an untreatable disease
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